If speed kills, 'Amberpro' cleans up

As a closer, Prized Amberpro is dependent on pace, and it appears that there is enough speed to fuel her late run in Friday night's $75,000 Magnolia at Delta Downs. Prized Amberpro will face seven others in the seven-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in Louisiana.

"I hope they go out there and kill each other off," said her trainer, John Gelner.

Gelner thought that would be the case in Prized Amberpro's last race, when she finished a fast-closing third to Leslie's Love in the $50,000 Victoria at Louisiana Downs.

"On paper, the race set up perfect," he said.

But when the starting gate opened, Gelner noted, things went differently. Many of the speed horses took back, leaving the winner alone on the front end. This time, Prized Amberpro could get a nice pace to run at behind such quick horses as defending champ Fuse It, Light Fling, Legs O'Neal, and Mrs. Mac.

The Magnolia is one of two stakes on the card at Delta, and both should produce starters for the Louisiana Champions Day program at Fair Grounds on Dec. 13. The races are also a first look at the statebreds under consideration for the $1 million Louisiana Premier Night at Delta on Feb. 7.

Both the $100,000 Champions Day Ladies and the $150,000 Premier Night Distaff are goals for Prized Amberpro, who stamped herself as one of the top Louisiana-bred mares in the state last winter when she won four straight statebred stakes, two of them at Delta.

C.J. Woodley has the mount on Prized Amberpro, who is owned by Linda Patch and Joseph Thomas.

* The $50,000 Creme de la Creme for 2-year-old fillies bred in Louisiana drew seven, including Cool Cool Cool, who edged top Louisiana-bred filly Cabildo Bag by a nose last out in the $50,000 Laurel Lane.

Steve Bourque has the mount for trainer Don Stemmans.

Others of note in the five-furlong race include Goodbye Beautiful. She was an overwhelming debut winner two starts ago at Louisiana Downs, when she won a statebred maiden race by 9 1/2 lengths. Kirk LeBlanc has the mount for trainer Wes Hawley.